The Hornets' offseason outlook is proving true in their recent win

The Charlotte Hornets had a close duel for the fourth time in a row, defeating the Toronto Raptors 138-133 on Wednesday. All four of the Hornets' games this season have been decided by eight points or fewer.

Luckily, they were able to emerge victorious and secure a 2-2 record ahead of their dreaded three games in four nights against some of the best teams in the league.

It took Charlotte all 48 minutes to defeat the sneaky but pesky Raptors. Some of his regular players failed to give the team the goals they needed, but fortunately the bench moved up.

The usual suspects for the Hornets' second unit included Tre Mann, who led the team with 27 points. However, defensive-minded Cody Martin made a surprising contribution, finishing with 25 points. Grant Williams added 17 points.

The other two reserve players who also got playing time didn't do much statistically, but did contribute in other areas. Tidjane Salaun finally scored his first NBA points despite only having three points. Still, his energy was infectious on both ends of the field. Meanwhile, Moussa Diabate didn't attempt a single shot despite being active on the boards for nine minutes and leading the Hornets in plus/minus with a +23.

Charlotte's depth was a boon for the franchise heading into the 2024-25 season. And as we predicted in the offseason, the bench was actually a strength of the team.

Interestingly, this outlook depended on the players being healthy. However, despite injuries to Brandon Miller and Mark Williams, the second unit was a force to be reckoned with. Once all starters are healthy, double-double threat Nick Richards and sharpshooting Seth Curry will be additional weapons for the Hornets on the bench.

Currently, the Hive team sits fourth in the bench standings with an average of 44.8 points per contest. The only teams ahead of him are the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies.

It remains to be seen whether the Hornets' impressive backup play will continue for the rest of the season. There's not much reason to believe that won't be the case, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that their depth isn't tested by injuries. The next few games will actually be a good test of Charlotte's mettle as there will be back-to-back matchups against the Boston Celtics followed by a visit to the Minnesota Timberwolves.